God said, “Let the priests, who minister to the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar,” (Joel 2:17). On a house, the “porch” is the part everybody can see; it represents the more public aspects of your ministry. The altar represents private ministry. In the life of a believer, there should always be more private than public ministry to God.
When you read about Jesus, you do not see Him praying in public nearly as much as you see Him praying in private. The Bible says He would often pray through the night and have intimate times alone with His Father. Out of those times in private devotion, public demonstrations of God’s power would be poured forth in healings, raising of the dead, abundance and more.
Victories are not won in public but in private. That is why fasting, whether corporately or individually, is a private discipline. Where there is little private discipline, there is little public reward.
Keep It Personal
Jesus said, “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.,” (Matt. 6:1). He was talking about public and private ministry. He added, “When you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly,” (vv. 2–4).
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Whether done corporately or individually, fasting is a personal, private discipline. It is a sacrifice born out of expectancy. That is not to imply that fasting is a manipulative tool to get something from God, but a “reasonable service” (Rom. 12:1) that God rewards openly. Remember the hundredfold return? God’s rewards are for all to see.
Just look at the life of Job. He went through a devastating trial and lost everything. His wealth, his family and his health were all stripped away. Yet he prayed, he fasted and he remained faithful to private devotion. Job said, “I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food” (Job 23:12, KJV). And God “restored Job’s losses” and gave him “twice as much as he had before” (Job 42:10). The Bible also says that He “blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning” (v. 12) and even gave him more sons and daughters. God’s open rewards flooded Job’s life.
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“Your Father…will Himself reward you openly” (Matt. 6:4). God does not lie. He has spoken to me that He will bring in souls during our annual fasts, and we have seen the fruit of that reward as well.
The thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and hundredfold returns are available in the life of every believer. God is no respecter of persons. What He has done in our church, in the lives of our members, He will do for you when you set your heart to seek Him through fasting.{eoa}
To learn more about the spiritual impact fasting has on your life, click here!
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